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Bill Murphy
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Posted: Mon Dec 8th, 2008 11:25 pm |
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| I just got back from a very pleasant visit with fellow members Morris Baker and Alex Papp, proprietors of RST Classic Shotshells. I won't go into the pleasant aspects of the visit, but will get right down to details about the shells. First, the loading machines were busy loading a new and probably the neatest 12 gauge hunting load RST offers. It is a lovely red paper 1 1/16 ounce load, roll crimped with clear top wad with shot size printed on the wad. It is suitable for 2 1/2" chambers. Now the good part. The shells were pressure tested while we were there and the average pressure reading was 6600 PSI. The velocity reading in the 24" pressure gun was in the mid 1100s meaning a very pleasant load to shoot. Second load that should interest us (it sure interests me) was the Falcon Ultralite 3/4 ounce 12 gauge load in 2 1/2" plastic hulls. This is a standard folded crimp load, very suitable for light 12 bores with fluid steel or composite barrel guns in suitable condition. The pressure reading on this little load averages 4300 PSI. Now, I know that you think that is a bit low. However, I froze a box yesterday at under 30 degrees for about six hours and shot them. The breaks were great and, more important, the sound was sharp with no funny reports in 25 shells. I am going to test some more when I get time after a night in my freezer. I'll report back. The velocity of this load is a slow 1125 or so. Perfect for sporting clays or skeet with our light Damascus and Twist Parkers. RST still makes everything on their old list, but the two new additions were too good to keep to myself.
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Paul Plunkett III
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Posted: Mon Dec 8th, 2008 11:42 pm |
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| Bill Thanks for the update on the RST shells. I am going to have to try those 12 gauge hunting loads. Paper ,roll crimp and over an ounce sounds like a great load!!!
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John Dunkle
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Posted: Mon Dec 8th, 2008 11:44 pm |
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Hey Bill..!
OUTSTANDING!!! Are these on their website yet - for sale?? I'd love to pick up a flat or two for my old Parkers (my Parkers are old - I'm not as old - unless you ask my kids  ) Paper sounds great - and just what the "Doc" ordered for my old CH....
As well - I'd be interested in how your freezer test goes - as this AM - it was a whopping 8 degrees at 6AM...
Also - hope you gave Alex and Morris our collective best from PGCA!! They are great folks..
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Don Kaas
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Posted: Mon Dec 8th, 2008 11:53 pm |
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Morris and Alex loaded up 7,000 rounds of 3 3/4 dre and 3 1/4 dre 1 1/4oz #7 1/2 Niceshot pigeon loads for the PGC. After 3 shoots the boys are very, very, pleased with them. They make a superb quality product.
I was bested by them on Saturday morning. 4 of us were tied in a shoot off at 15 straight, two early drop outs and my remaining opponent, shooting RST Niceshot in his Krieghoff and I, Bismuth in my Purdey continued tied through 10 more birds each. I then missed my 26th flyer and my worthy adversary did not. It must have been the RST shells! Drats! Curse you Red Baron! Runner up again!
Last edited on Mon Dec 8th, 2008 11:54 pm by Don Kaas
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Bill Murphy
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Posted: Tue Dec 9th, 2008 12:06 am |
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| John, I will continue the freezer test on the 3/4 ounce Falcon Ultralites, but no need to worry about the 1 1/16 ounce roll crimp loads. They will be fine in cold weather and safe in our guns. The 1 1/16 ounce roll crimp loads are brand new, are now listed in the "Specialty Grade" category. I think I was watching the first seventy flats or so being loaded. They are there for you to order. The roll crimper is the slickest thing I've ever seen. I watched thousands of shells being loaded and never saw a roll crimp that wasn't perfect. Even the transparent top wad is fed automatically into the shell. They are the best looking hunting loads I have ever seen. The ones I bought have a "7" on the top wad. Tomorrow I will whack a few chukars and tame pheasants with these new shells. I won't need to report back because my gunning partner, an almost 90 year old waterfowler, has never let a preserve bird get away as long as I've been shooting with him. The #7 shot should be a perfect compromise for ringnecks and chukars. I've got a baggo Morris's ten gauge #5 1 1/8 ounce loads to shoot at a couple of the pheasants. I've been shooting the RST tens for as long as they've been in business and love them. Last edited on Tue Dec 9th, 2008 12:50 am by Bill Murphy
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Ed Blake
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Posted: Tue Dec 9th, 2008 12:22 am |
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| Bill - Can you tell what sort of wad they are using in the 3/4oz. shells?
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Bill Murphy
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Posted: Tue Dec 9th, 2008 12:42 am |
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| Ed, you're asking me to betray a confidence. I assume I'm sworn to secrecy so you won't go out and start loading these on your own. However, I imagine that if you bought a box, you could open the shells and find out that they are using a B&P 27H. Oh, did I let the cat out of the bag? I bet you thought I didn't even know. If Alex and Morris find out I told you about the secret wad, they may not invite me up again. By the way, the price list is at rstshells.com. The new 1 1/16 ounce load is in the "Specialty Grade" category. The 3/4 ounce load is in the "Best Grade" category. Last edited on Tue Dec 9th, 2008 12:09 pm by Bill Murphy
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Ed Blake
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Posted: Tue Dec 9th, 2008 01:43 am |
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| Thanks Bill. I can keep a secret, wild horses could not, etc, etc.... I've had great success with the Fed12SO wad and Clays in a Remington hull.
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Bill Murphy
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Posted: Tue Dec 9th, 2008 12:02 pm |
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| Ed, I also have used the SO wad and the Claybuster clone by the thousands. For those who don't know about this great wad, it is about the largest wad available from the big three and the best because it can't be made to tip in the loader like the others occasionally do. However, the B&P 27H is even bigger than the SO and will fill a shell better with very light shot charges. It is also heavily constructed like the SO and would be unlikely to tip in the loader.
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Angel Cruz
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Posted: Tue Dec 9th, 2008 10:39 pm |
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| Murph. Why do you freeze the shells??
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Bill Murphy
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Posted: Tue Dec 9th, 2008 11:03 pm |
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Angel, extremely low pressure shells sometimes exhibit poor sound and/or performance in very cold weather. RST, since they specialize in low pressure shells for vintage guns, test their products for low temperature performance since hunting in cold weather is a part of their intended use. The Falcon Ultralite 3/4 ounce load is the lowest pressure load in their extensive product line and they want them to be useful in all temperature ranges. Putting them in the freezer for a few hours before test firing is the commonly used method of testing.
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Richard Flanders
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Posted: Tue Dec 9th, 2008 11:20 pm |
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I'll look forward to your freezer tests Bill. I don't suppose you have a chronograph so you can document the velocity change?? I sometimes shoot at -20deg and may one of these winters participate in the local -40F target shoot on the nearby airbase so cold wx performance of shotshells is of great interest to me. My own low P target loads using 7625 can be dangerous to bbls at less than -10degF. You can't get in a hurry and ignore a load that pops and where you can see the shot going downrange as a stuck wad is often the result.
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Bill Murphy
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Posted: Wed Dec 10th, 2008 12:51 am |
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| Richard, I will put that test on the agenda the next time I have access to the pressure and velocity test aparatus. The comparison test is a great idea. By the way, I have been told that the RST box will soon be printed with velocity information. Pressure information will still be available by phone or email.
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Jonathan Taylor
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Posted: Wed Dec 10th, 2008 11:25 pm |
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| You guys are all nuts! Shooting at 20 degrees below.....40 degrees below. It was 65 in Boston today and I still felt cold. Maybe I'll go hug my Parkers.. that will keep me warm.
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Bill Murphy
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Posted: Tue Jan 13th, 2009 05:49 pm |
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| My friend Frank "Silvers" on the Fox Collectors website BBS just posted about his experiences at the RST factory, and the latest developments up there. You might want to switch bulletin boards and read what he has to say. Frank is a serious Fox shooter and lives in the part of the real U.S. where RST is located. I was a little surprised that Morris and Alex would let a Fox shooter into the plant, but maybe Frank sprung for dinner.
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Destry Hoffard
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Posted: Tue Jan 13th, 2009 06:43 pm |
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I was using some of the 10 gauge 1 1/4 #2 NiceShot shells from RST on my recent goose hunting excursion and they performed flawlessly in my big D grade hammer gun. Those boys just don't make a bad shell, it's amazing really.
Destry
Evidence of the effective nature of RST NiceShot 10 gauge ammo:
Mr. Kimble and myself on The Shore after a successful morning with Mr. Kaas
Last edited on Tue Jan 13th, 2009 07:23 pm by Destry Hoffard
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Eric Eis
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Posted: Tue Jan 13th, 2009 07:12 pm |
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Destry you sure those were RST's and not something of an older vintage... Eric
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Bill Murphy
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Posted: Tue Jan 13th, 2009 07:59 pm |
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| Eric, Destry isn't going to take a chance with those lead 2 7/8 ounce boomers when shooting in Maryland. I have seen the Queen Annes County Jail and none of it is above ground level. Destry, I think I recognize the "Shack" you are standing in front of, the old Chesapeake Gun Club, now a commercial hunting operation named Schrader Hunting. It tickles me that our favorite Southern Barrister is also shooting a hammer gun. That must have driven those MD guides crazy. I was out the day before I met you at my gun club, shot a going away Canada stone dead at about 90 yards with a ten gauge side by side (can't divulge the make, but Kaas knows). My host forgave my previous miss at less than 40 yards and threatened to kiss me on the lips.
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Bill Murphy
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Posted: Tue Jan 13th, 2009 08:07 pm |
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| By the way, with apologies to our friends from RST, I didn't use their legal Nice Shot shells for my 90 yard shot, although I have used Nice Shot for many other great ten gauge performances. The ninety yard shot was made with Federal 3 1/2" 1 3/4 ounce #2 steel, a load that I have used with long range success several times in the past. I use the RST Nice Shot and other RST ten gauge loads for more sensible shots, both birds and waterfowl. If I ever kill a goose at 90 yards with one of Morris and Alex's RST shells, you won't hear about it here. Last edited on Tue Jan 13th, 2009 08:09 pm by Bill Murphy
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Destry Hoffard
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Posted: Tue Jan 13th, 2009 08:12 pm |
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Bill,
That's the place, was a hell of a nice setup. What impressed me most was that we hunted over stuffers, I'd heard about them all my life but never actually shot over them before. For the non-Eastern Shore gunners, stuffers are actual mounted geese that they use as decoys.
I'm sad to say that the picture of us both holding hammer guns is just a fiction. John was using one of them new fangled hammerless guns, a BH grade I believe. Don's "Hammer of God" just happened to be leaning handy when we got ready for the photo.
I fully expected the guides to make mention of the hammer guns but not a word was spoken. We got to talking about how old our various fowling pieces were and it barely elicited a shrug. Maybe they'd read Sherman Bell and knew that we wouldn't be blowing them all to pieces with them unsafe old doubles.
90 yards is a hell of a long shot with a 10 bore but I know you're an expert with the big guns. My record is 75 yards on a duck but it was with a 4 gauge so that's not much of a comparison though I think had it been a goose it would have been equally dead.
Destry
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